Rachel Ibrahim-Week 8

Rachel Ibrahim

Week 8

Section A03

I think that attending a UC that has nearly a 40% Asian/Asian American population we sometimes forget that this is not the case for other schools. Mark Tseng Putterman’s article “What Asian Americans Are ringing to Campus Movements for Racial Justice” talked about Asian American students who attended school with under ~20% Asian populations. The students talked about not feeling inclusive and a sense of belonging in a school dominated by white students. Many of them feel underrepresented, from the fact that within University of Minnesota, Asian American studies is the only program within ethnic studies to not have its own major department, to the protests against Yale for not teaching Asian Americans in the media. A big part of this particular issue comes back to the idea of Asian Americans being model minority and somewhat ignored when it comes to race struggles. Because of this, it is more important than ever that students continue to fight and protest for Asian American rights, because without student activism, this issues will continued to be ignored. Another thing addressed in this article was about how the media uses Asian Americans as a cover to downplay the issues of other races. This poses both harm to Asian Americans and the other races because it covers up the race issues as non-existent while it is actually just as important for all races involved. In addition to the necessity for Asian Americans to stand together with Latinos and Blacks, it is also important that all groups within Asian Americans are represented as well. Just within the Asian American group, there is so much diversity, that everyone needs to come together as well.

Question: Why is it so common that other races will get major departments within ethnic studies, but it seems that Asian American studies is the least represented?

References:

Smith, D. P. (n.d.). Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved May 20, 2017, from http://www.weinberg.northwestern.edu/after-graduation/weinberg-magazine/spring-summer-2016/faculty-approve-major-in-asian-american-studies.html

Putterman, M. T. (2016, February 1). What Asian Americans Are Bringing to Campus Movements for Racial Justice. Race files. Retrieved May 19, 2017.